multi-asset

A hung parliament will have a detrimental impact on the progress of the RDR and stall the UK's economic recovery, say advisers.

The Financial Services and Skills Council (FSSC) has launched an online survey to assess gaps in professionalism ahead of the higher RDR standards.

Providers have high hopes the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) will fuel retail uptake of ETFs in the UK. Yet intermediaries believe regulation is not enough and providers should be improving direct access. Paul Burgin reports

Bradley Kay at Morningstar looks at retail investment prospects and what the next decade holds for the European ETF industry

David Stevenson shares his thoughts on recent innovations in the index-tracking ETF space and asks are investors looking before they leap?

RDR rules stipulating trail commission be passed on to the client when they switch adviser will "devalue" IFA businesses in the eyes of consolidators, Buckles CEO Nigel Speirs says.

Adviser Alliance's mission to defeat what it sees as damaging RDR regulations is gathering political support - including that of the shadow minister for constitutional affairs and justice.

The FSA is open to the possibility of spreading adviser remuneration transparency across the board but doesn't believe it would be a popular move.

The FSA's u-turn on forcing restricted advisers to disclose their non-independence using a fixed set of words is a "total cop-out" and not in the best interests of customers, says SIFA.

The FSA says although it has "mixed views" on the question of whether an adviser can be independent using just one platform, it is likely to push for IFAs to adopt multiple platform use.